Wednesday, April 1, 2020

April 1 - Boots Riley


Happy 48th Birthday, Boots Riley! Born today in 1971 as Raymond Lawrence "Boots" Riley, this African-American activist, rapper, screenwriter, producer and film director is the lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. 
  
Riley is best known for writing and directing his feature-film directorial debut. This was the 2018 American dark comedy/fantasy film 'Sorry to Bother You', released on July 6, 2018. Principal photography began in June 2017 in Oakland, California.  
  
Set in an alternate reality of present-day Oakland, a young African-American telemarketer named Cassius 'Cash' Green (Lakeith Stanfield) finds himself in a macabre universe after he discovers a magical key that leads to material glory.  
  
As Green's career begins to take off, his friends and co-workers organize a protest against corporate oppression. However, Green soon falls under the spell of Steve Lift (Armie Hammer), a cocaine-snorting CEO who offers him a salary beyond his wildest dreams. 
  
The film premiered at the 40th Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States later that same year in early July 2018 by Annapurna Pictures

The film later received praise for its cast and concept, as well as Riley's screenplay and direction. 
  
Riley has been active from 1991–present. 
  
#borntodirect 
#BlackDirectorsMatter 
@BootsRiley 
@nytimes 
@wired

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